In general, the food industry is faced with a need to increase the ability to monitor the integrity of food during transit. For example, the Food Safety Modernization Act broaden the regulatory authority of the US Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to oversee transportation of food throughout the United States.
In addition to regulatory concerns, the food industry as well as the medical supplies industry is faced with additional demands to supply data monitoring data to ensure the integrity of food or other perishable good. For example, large retailers may require that a shipper provide proof that a certain load of cargo has maintained precise temperature control throughout a cross-country trip.
However, tractor trailers are not typically equipped to monitor cargo loads. Furthermore, like all vehicles, tractor trailers must conserve energy resources since the electricity in tractor trailers must come from a battery source.
In addition to monitoring needs, tractor trailers also require sufficient lighting within an associated trailer. As with monitoring, the particular needs of the automobile industry demand that lighting conserve energy resources as well. Furthermore, since the total holding capacity of a tractor trailer directly affects the amount of inventory the shipper can transport, compactness and space-considerations must also be considered.